Check out our practical tips below and you'll find yourself in that corner office with your name on the door soon.

Take On Dual Roles

You already established the fact that you are a responsible worker, but that could describe most people in your company. What you need to do is become Super worker in your boss's eyes. And this means taking on more than you need to. If your job scope involves A, offer to do B as well. If you are given a contract to draft, do some additional research and give your boss a report on cost-saving measures the company can undertake once the contract is confirmed. When appropriate, offer to pick up the slack when your team is overworked. And make sure your boss notices your initiative. When I knew my co-workers was falling behind report and I graciously offered to step in and finish it with them. At the team's weekly meeting, I will point out that as part of my co-worker's report involved an analysis of business law, which was my expertise, and I would offered to complete it. The result: the report was completed on time, my co-workers were grateful for my help and my boss saw the team spirit and professional capabilities.

Offer To Organise the Year-End Party

It's the job that everyone else hates. No one likes staying back late to coordinate and organise. Seize this golden opportunity to show your mettle. Go to your boss and sound him out on your ideas for a year-end get-together. Not only will you score brownie points for taking on a job that no one wants, it shows you are willing to take on challenges. It would be even better if you could get a committee together to do the whole thing. The message: on top of leadership qualities, you are also ultra-persuasive and have excellent communication skills with your co-workers. My friends Melissa worked for a small family-owned textile business. When Melissa's boss suggested a barbeque for their small company of 30, everyone kept quiet because no one wanted the extra workload. Melissa got two of her co-workers, volunteered to plan the whole thing. At the barbeque, everyone enjoyed themselves and her boss openly praised Melissa and her team for their hard work. Not very long after that, the company decided to branch out into corporate gifts and guess who was selected to head the department? Melissa gleefully accepted the job and pulled both her co-workers over.

Offer Solutions

No boss likes to be presented with problems; they already have enough on their plate as it is. So, even if you're dying to whine about your project at hand, don't. If you're facing difficulty completing a particular task and you really need to get your boss's input, there is a way to do it and still come out on top. Rather than going to him with just the problem, go with' the problem and a few solutions.

Den worked for an events company and was having trouble finding the right wine supplier for his client's wedding. He was at his wit's end and the obvious thing to do would be to consult his boss. Instead of marching into his office with "I can't find a wine supplier!" she puts together a list of alternatives - a cocktail bar, a dessert and champagne bar and even an assortment of quirky fruit punches. His boss was relieved of the job of finding a solution for Den and doubly impressed by his initiative. In the end, they presented the ideas to the client and the client loved the thought of having a fruit punch bar instead of the usual wine at their wedding.

Service with A Smile

Smile and all your troubles will melt away. This is truer than you thought. No employer likes to be faced with a sour-faced subordinate. You will come across as obstinate, unpleasant and childish, none of which are the qualities of a leader. We're not saying you have to act like a clown around your boss every time, but a pleasant facial expression and open body language spell enthusiasm. You will always be remembered as the one who always greets people with a smile and the one who is very pleasant to be around. Annie is one such creature. She is always cheerful and a joy to be around. Every time she is handed an assignment, she gushes over it, saying how excited she is to be given the chance to do something new and launches right into starting it. Bosses like their employees to be happy, for it means they love their jobs. And no one gets promoted faster than those who show enthusiasm and passion for what they're doing. Annie's sunny disposition soon landed her the chance to be posted to the New York office, as her boss really likes her work ethics and positive attitude.

Dress for Success

You've heard this a million times and now's the time to kick it into high gear. If you want to be taken seriously, dress the part. July started as junior copywriter for an international advertising agency. She had just graduated and didn't have much experience dressing for the creative field. She was often decked out in simple long-sleeved shirts and pencil skirts. She did notice, however, that the other girls at the agency were very fashion forward, pairing long graphic tees with colourful leggings, or wearing trendy dresses with interesting details. Though she was a very gifted writer, she was often overlooked for interesting projects, partly because she always faded into the background at meetings and brainstorm sessions. After carefully going through fashion magazines for several months, she finally found the courage to try a different style of dressing. She tried to emulate the other girls at work and gradually got the hang of dressing "creatively". She got promoted to senior copywriter two years after she joined, mostly due to her writing talent and hard work, but also due to her improved dress sense and confidence in presenting herself.